On June 8, Long Island Systems Distributor Inc. ("LISD") was crowned co-ed softball tournament champion, at the 8th Annual Business Cares for Kids Sports Festival, after a 7-4 victory over the team from the Roslyn Savings Bank. The team from LISD, Inc. will play against players from the New York Jets and New York Power, later this month. The Sons of Italy-Columbus Lodge #2143 Golden Lions recovered from an opening round loss to run the table and emerge as the Conciliation Round Champions.

Entering the first round, the Columbus Lodge began their morning on a positive note by scoring 4 runs in the first inning, against the defending champs from First Steps. However, over the next 3 innings, sloppy defense by the Lions led to 8 unearned runs and an eventual 11-7 loss. "The errors were a killer," said Frank Curran. The closest the score got was in the fifth inning when the Lions moved to within 2 runs after an Anthony Curran double scored Dave Saviano and Jeff Steinberg. The loss sent the Columbus Lodge to counciliation round; it was their last loss of the day.

Casey Stengel once said, "It's easy to get good players. Getting them to play together, that's the hard part." The Columbus Lodge regrouped during the lunch break and began the afternoon playing against United Electric Power. The Lodge's spark plug, Joe Pesale, led the game off with a base on balls. Nine batters later the Lions had a 4-0 lead. When they took the field, a noticeable increase in defensive intensity could be seen. This intensity would continue to elevate throughout the day.

Offensively, the Columbus Lodge tacked on another 4-runs in the second inning, highlighted by a Jeff Steinberg 3-run homerun; and pounded out 6 runs in the third inning, to take a 14-0 lead. Anthony Curran connected on a 2-run homerun in the fifth, Lee Miceli's pinch hit double led to 2 more runs in the sixth, and team captain Ed Bochynski collected 4 hits in the game; as the Columbus Lodge short-circuited United Electric Power 18-4.

Next up for the Golden Lions were the team from Coffee Distributing Corp. The Lions ground a run in the first and second innings to take an early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, shortstop Gus Costalas' triple was the centerpiece of a 6-run, 8-hit explosion. Jack Huck's 2-run scoring single extended the rally and the lead to 8-0. In the fifth, the Lions added to the lead when Rita DiSalvo scored on a Veronica Rooney double. After Dave Saviano singled in Rooney, Jeff Steinberg crushed a 2-run homerun over the right field fence to cement the 13-0 shutout victory.

The Counciliation Finals pitted the team from the Robert Plan Group against the Columbus Lodge. As he had done all afternoon, Joe Pesale got on base with a lead off single. Having moved to third on a Dave Saviano double, both he and Saviano scored on a Ron Gadolfo smash through the infield. Moments later, Gandolfo crossed the plate with the Lions third run when Anthony Curran stroked a single to left. The relentless Robert Plan Group quickly tied the game and took a 4-3 lead into the forth inning. That lead was short lived as the Lions squeaked the tying run across the plate in the fifth inning.

Still tied in the sixth, Anthony Curran roped the ball past the centerfielder for an inside the park homerun. Then Gus Costalas and Ed Bochynski's 2-out singles set up a crucial at-bat for Rita DiSalvo. On a 1-1 pitch, DiSalvo launched a triple over the leftfielder's head, scoring both Costalas and Bochynski, and giving the Lions a 7-4 lead. In the bottom half of the sixth, the Robert Plan Group loaded the bases, but good pitching from Curran and tight defense from the Lions prevented them from scoring.

In the final inning, Joe Pesale reached base for the fourth time in the game and later scored the first of 4 runs for the Columbus Lodge, as they extended their lead to 11-4. "This is the best team I've seen in the tournament," said Doug Feurer, co-chairman of the Sports Festival. Still determined to win the game, the Robert Plan Group scored 2 runs and had two runners on base when a scorching line drive was snatched out of the air by rightfielder Jackie Huck to end the game.

The Counciliation Round Champion Columbus Lodge finished the day by outscoring their opponents 49-21. Their 49 runs scored was the tournament high and five batters hit .600 or better, led by Anthony Curran (.800), Gus Costolas (.769), Jeff Steinberg (.667), Ed Bochynski (.643), and Ron Gandolfo (.600). In addition, the bench strength provided by No. Massapequa's Lee Miceli and Massapequa's Gina Nonenaker was unparalleled. "I'd go to war with this team any day," said pitcher Anthony Curran.

Although champions were crowned, the real champion was the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. The Sports Festival raised over $90,000 for the New Hyde Park based facility. In addition, the Sports Festival attracted over 1,700 people and over 120 volunteers. One of the volunteers, Kelly Yevoli from Acclaim Entertainment, registered children for the mile and a half walk-a-thon and then joined Ronald McDonald and members of the New York Power, for the walk.

The Ronald McDonald House is a not-for-profit charity that provides a temporary lodging facility for seriously ill children and their families who must travel to area hospitals for urgently needed medical care. Families stay at the House while their child is under a physician's care. Since its inception in 1986, the Long Island facility has served more than 7,000 families.

"Over the years, it has been very gratifying to me to be able to provide so many families with emotional support and a home-away-from-home literally two minutes from their hospitalized child. But it breaks my heart that we can't accommodate every family that needs us," said Silvanna LaFerlita Gullo, executive director of the House.

The Columbus Lodge #2143, located behind the Stuart Thomas Manor on Broadway Avenue in So. Farmingdale, is a member of the Order Sons of Italy in America, a not-for-profit fraternal organization. The Lodge offers its members various social and recreational activities, as well as community and charity involvement. For more information on becoming part of this organization one may call Steve LaScala at (516) 735-2535.